GOOD MORNING: Athletes recount times before civil rights movement

EVANSVILLE - On Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, I was listening to the MLB Network on satellite radio.

Former Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Don Newcombe recounted stories of the racism he and Jackie Robinson and other African-American players faced in the late 1940s and early '50s. Newcombe said that after being dropped off at Union Station in St. Louis, no cab would pick the African-American players up. They had to wait for somebody to come and get them and take them to a "black hotel." This went on for seven years.

After fighting two years for our country in the Korean War, Newcombe decided he was tired of staying in substandard hotels. He was determined to join his white teammates at the Chase Hotel in St. Louis and Robinson went along.

Newcombe asked to talk with the manager, telling him they wanted to stay at this "white hotel." The manager bought Newcombe and Robinson a cup of coffee and explained to them that they could not stay because the pool was off-limits. Robinson said, "I can't swim." Newcombe told the manager he never swam during the season for fear of hurting his arm. As a result, the manager relented and they were allowed to stay.

However, racist slurs continued to come from the stands and also on the field.

George Foster told me that when he played for the Cincinnati Reds in the 1970s there was still lots of racism. Pete Rose was one of the few white players who made him feel welcome. Otis Williams, founder of the legendary Motown group the Temptations told me that they often played for screaming white fans in packed venues. But when the show was over, they were bussed to the other side of the tracks to a "black hotel."

Martin Luther King Jr. did so much for the African-American community. I am sure he never imagined we would have a biracial president this soon.

We have come so far. There was a time interracial marriage was not legal in many places. There was a time schools were separate and businesses hired only white people. I only hope that in the hearts of the majority of Americans, there is no color barrier.

Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream and it is slowly coming true. I hope in my lifetime, it will even become more of a reality and we stop seeing people's color rather than who they are. The first step is teaching our children that all people are equal and our diversity is what makes this country so great.

Things could be much better in our lives, our country and our world if we just listened to John Lennon and realize "All You Need Is Love."